Sharing Budgetary Austerity under Free Mobility and Asymmetric Information: An Optimal Regulation Approach to Fiscal Federalism

In the present article, Tiebout meets Laffont and Tirole in the land of Fiscal Federalism. We use a non-trivial Principal-Multi-Agent model to characterize the optimal intergovernmental grant schedule, when the cost of local public goods depends on hidden characteristics and actions of local governments, and under citizen free mobility. We show that local governments earn informational rents, and how optimal local taxes, public good production levels and land prices are jointly distorted at the second-best optimum, as a consequence of free mobility and asymmetric information. The effect of informational asymmetries is to decrease the average production of public goods and to increase the inter-jurisdictional variance of taxes and public-good production.asymmetric information, Principal-Agent model, public budget deficits, free-mobility equilibrium, fiscal federalism

To assemble to resemble? A study of tax disparities among French municipalities

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of inter-municipal cooperation on local taxation. Municipalities that join/create an inter-municipal jurisdiction choose between three tax regimes, which may induce both horizontal and vertical tax externalities. Using the differences in differences method with a quasi-exhaustive panel for French municipalities over the 1994-2010 period, we show a positive causal effect of cooperation on the level of cumulative tax rates (i.e. the sum of municipal and inter-municipal tax rates). Moreover, we show that cooperation leads to a convergence of tax rates within an inter-municipal structure, which thus reduces tax disparities among municipalities.Inter-municipal cooperation, tax competition, fiscal disparities

To assemble to resemble? A study of tax disparities among French municipalities

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of inter-municipal cooperation on local taxation. Municipalities that join/create an inter-municipal jurisdiction choose between three tax regimes, which may induce both horizontal and vertical tax externalities. Using the differences in differences method with a quasi-exhaustive panel for French municipalities over the 1994-2010 period, we show a positive causal effect of cooperation on the level of cumulative tax rates (i.e. the sum of municipal and inter-municipal tax rates). Moreover, we show that cooperation leads to a convergence of tax rates within an inter-municipal structure, which thus reduces tax disparities among municipalities

Should French municipalities foster urban densification to reduce their expenditures?

The relationship between population density and the costs of public services remains the subject of controversies due to the wide range of estimated elasticities. This disparity derives essentially from measurement and identification issues. Based on a sample of French municipalities for the period 2003-2015, this paper addresses both considerations and provides further evidence in support of a non-linear relationship between density and public expenditures per capita. First, we measure density differently from the traditional literature and consider two metrics. Second, to tackle endogeneity, we exploit historical records of population, settlements and soil characteristics as an exogenous source of variation. Our preferred specifications imply elasticity estimates equal to -0.13 and 0.12 for per capita current and capital expenditures respectively. Under a cubic B-spline specification, current spending initially decreases with density (up to 20 inhabitants plus jobs per ha) before increasing. In contrast, capital spending features several return points at 20, 30 and 50 inhabitants plus jobs per ha respectivel

Does railway accessibility boost population growth? Evidence from unfinished historical roadways in France

The railway revolution that swayed through Europe in the nineteenth century left a legacy of unexplored networks. In this paper, we observe a subset of unfinished railways to evaluate the impact of railroads on population growth. Using the random nature of the achieved portions, we compare municipalities located around the planned but not realized segment of the railways to those in the vicinity of the operated sections. Our results indicate that the railways boost population growth in the medium and long-run. However, the medium-run effects are only visible in municipalities with high pre-arrival population. The railroads also seem to have solved a coordination problem in the sense that treated municipalities were more likely to gain access to other transport infrastructures later

A dietary supplementation with leucine and antioxidants is capable to accelerate muscle mass recovery after immobilization in adult rats

Prolonged inactivity induces muscle loss due to an activation of proteolysis and decreased protein synthesis; the latter is also involved in the recovery of muscle mass. The aim of the present work was to explore the evolution of muscle mass and protein metabolism during immobilization and recovery and assess the effect of a nutritional strategy for counteracting muscle loss and facilitating recovery. Adult rats (6-8 months) were subjected to unilateral hindlimb casting for 8 days (10-18) and then permitted to recover for 10 to 40 days (R10-R40). They were fed a Control or Experimental diet supplemented with antioxidants/polyphenols (AOX) (10 to 18), AOX and leucine (AOX + LEU) (18 to R15) and LEU alone (R15 to R40). Muscle mass, absolute protein synthesis rate and proteasome activities were measured in gastrocnemius muscle in casted and non-casted legs in post prandial (PP) and post absorptive (PA) states at each time point. Immobilized gastrocnemius protein content was similarly reduced (-37%) in both diets compared to the non-casted leg. Muscle mass recovery was accelerated by the AOX and LEU supplementation (+6% AOX+LEU vs. Control, P<0.05 at R40) due to a higher protein synthesis both in PA and PP states (+23% and 31% respectively, Experimental vs. Control diets, P<0.05, R40) without difference in trypsin-and chymotrypsin-like activities between diets. Thus, this nutritional supplementation accelerated the recovery of muscle mass via a stimulation of protein synthesis throughout the entire day (in the PP and PA states) and could be a promising strategy to be tested during recovery from bed rest in humans

Liver glycogen stores via 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy in healthy children: randomized, controlled study

BackgroundOwing to its role in glucose homeostasis, liver glycogen concentration ([LGly]) can be a marker of altered metabolism seen in disorders which impact health of children. However, there is a paucity of normative data for this measure in children to allow comparison with patients, and time-course assessment of [LGly] in response to feeding has not been reported. 13C-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C-MRS) is used extensively in research to non-invasively assess liver metabolites in adult health and disease, but similar measurements in children are lacking.ObjectiveThe main objectives were to quantify the depletion of [LGly] after overnight fasting, and the subsequent response to feeding.DesignIn a randomized, open-label, incomplete block design study, healthy, normal-weight children (8-12y) attended 2 evening visits, each separated by ≥5 days and directly followed by a morning visit. An individually tailored, standardized meal was consumed 3-hours prior to evening assessments. Participants then remained fasted until the morning visit. [LGly] was assessed once in the fed (20:00hrs) and fasted state (08:00hrs) using 13C-MRS. After the 8:00hrs assessment, 200ml of a mixed-macronutrient drink containing 15.5g (402kJ) or 31g carbohydrate (804kJ), or water only, was consumed, with 13C-MRS measurements then performed hourly for 4h. Each child was randomized to 2 of 3 drink options across the 2 mornings. Data are expressed as mean (SD).ResultsTwenty-four children (13F:11M) completed the study (9.9(1.1)y, BMI percentile 45.7(25.9)). [LGly] decreased from 377.9(141.3) to 277.3(107.4) mmol·l-1 overnight; depletion rate 0.14(0.15) mmol·l-1·min-1. Incremental responses of [LGly] to test drinks differed (P<0.001), with incremental net AUC of [LGly] over 4h (i.netAUC240min) being higher for 15.5g (-67.1(205.8) mmol·l-1·240min; P<0.01) and 31g carbohydrate (101.6(180.9) mmol·l-1·240min; P<0.005) compared to water (-253.1(231.2) mmol·l-1·240min).ConclusionAfter overnight fasting, [LGly] decreased by 22.9(25.1)%, and [LGly] i.netAUC240min was higher after subsequent consumption of 15.5g and 31g carbohydrate, compared to water.Clinical Trial Registry number: NCT04278209 (www.clinicaltrials.gov

Consideration of influences of soil parameters on compaction behavior with soil/water/air coupled F. E. code

Background: The essential amino acid methionine can be used for protein synthesis but also serves as a precursor for homocysteine and cysteine. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the minimal obligatory methionine requirement of infants in the presence of excess cysteine (91 mg · k